That train was going to be built when I was at school, and we all know how long ago that was. I think it may have been the 20 year plan back then as well.
Wasn't there supposed to be plans for a high speed train right through from Brisbane to Melbourne, via Sydney and Canberra? I'm talking years ago, like back in the 80s. This current idea sounds like it is just a scaled down version of that old idea.
Think of it this way... 60 million people in the UK cannot even pay for a decent rail network in a country as tiny as it is, so how are the 20 million of us going to pay for a line equivalent to 3 x London to Edinburgh[1]?
It works in Japan 'cos there are a zillion of them in 100th of the area, but it's never gonna happen here.
[1] Lon->Ed. is about 650Km. Mel->Can->Syd->Bris is about 1900Km.
Submitted by delicious on Tue, 10/02/2009 - 16:49.
The powers that be don't want us to use public transport. All this costs them money and lots of it. What they want is for us to drive cars ( and possibly ride motorcycles ) because this activity creates revenue by collecting tax on the purchase of the vehicle itself, associated products and services and the best of the lot, fines.
This is exactly why most Australian government departments drag their metaphorical feet on installing bicycle routes about the place. Pulling the mass populace out of their cars and show them how to commute/take most trips by bike and/or public transport reduces the amount of revenue sucked into the coffers.
So, no trainline will be built. Instead, improve the existing road, encourage more people to drive and then punish them for their mistakes by imposing fines by simply taking nice cheap photos rather than fork out for a highway patrol unit to enforce the road safety message that is so often touted...
I think the point is that a further 50 minutes by train is acceptable to an airline passenger who's just done 28 hours of flying/sitting in Singapore in a stupor. Having to find a car and then drive 3 hours to Sydney & navigate their way through the suburbs to their hotel of choice isn't quite what most people would expect to have to do at the end of their journey, no matter what the road was like. They could get a taxi I guess - $800 isn't a lot in pounds.
BTW, the positive thing in that article was that there is no mention of the NSW Govt being involved, so we've at least got a sporting chance.....
Submitted by delicious on Wed, 11/02/2009 - 18:51.
Yes Morgan I get that part. The idea is fine by me. I was just being, shall we say, pessimistic about our government. My comment is about why the idea, no matter how sound, will never be executed.
Something like this would need some kind of government involvement. Private enterprise might work, yet I'll point out the Cross Sydney Tunnel debacle first.
Since this is an MTB site, and we are now firmly off topic, we may have to move to one of Rob's other discussion websites, the one called 'publictransportinaustraliaiscrap.com.au'
No wonder our economy is heading downhill with all the lost taxes from people quitting smoking, drinking, gambling, and driving. The government should probably legalise crack and heroin. That way we could get mugged by a crackhead on a graffiti covered train that runs late from Sydney to Canberra.
Only we've got more chance of a dedicated DH track here then that line every being built. </sceptical>
Think of it as being a realist.
That train was going to be built when I was at school, and we all know how long ago that was. I think it may have been the 20 year plan back then as well.
Let there be light
Wasn't there supposed to be plans for a high speed train right through from Brisbane to Melbourne, via Sydney and Canberra? I'm talking years ago, like back in the 80s. This current idea sounds like it is just a scaled down version of that old idea.
Think of it this way... 60 million people in the UK cannot even pay for a decent rail network in a country as tiny as it is, so how are the 20 million of us going to pay for a line equivalent to 3 x London to Edinburgh[1]?
It works in Japan 'cos there are a zillion of them in 100th of the area, but it's never gonna happen here.
[1] Lon->Ed. is about 650Km. Mel->Can->Syd->Bris is about 1900Km.
when you were at school stephenson had just invented the rocket( first ever train for the uneducated!)
this with our bikes on the Stromlo express train?
http://youtu.be/STNWc7Rlpfk
If the train could go along Victoria rd that would solve a bigger problem too...
Tom
The powers that be don't want us to use public transport. All this costs them money and lots of it. What they want is for us to drive cars ( and possibly ride motorcycles ) because this activity creates revenue by collecting tax on the purchase of the vehicle itself, associated products and services and the best of the lot, fines.
This is exactly why most Australian government departments drag their metaphorical feet on installing bicycle routes about the place. Pulling the mass populace out of their cars and show them how to commute/take most trips by bike and/or public transport reduces the amount of revenue sucked into the coffers.
So, no trainline will be built. Instead, improve the existing road, encourage more people to drive and then punish them for their mistakes by imposing fines by simply taking nice cheap photos rather than fork out for a highway patrol unit to enforce the road safety message that is so often touted...
I think the point is that a further 50 minutes by train is acceptable to an airline passenger who's just done 28 hours of flying/sitting in Singapore in a stupor. Having to find a car and then drive 3 hours to Sydney & navigate their way through the suburbs to their hotel of choice isn't quite what most people would expect to have to do at the end of their journey, no matter what the road was like. They could get a taxi I guess - $800 isn't a lot in pounds.
BTW, the positive thing in that article was that there is no mention of the NSW Govt being involved, so we've at least got a sporting chance.....
Yes Morgan I get that part. The idea is fine by me. I was just being, shall we say, pessimistic about our government. My comment is about why the idea, no matter how sound, will never be executed.
Something like this would need some kind of government involvement. Private enterprise might work, yet I'll point out the Cross Sydney Tunnel debacle first.
Since this is an MTB site, and we are now firmly off topic, we may have to move to one of Rob's other discussion websites, the one called 'publictransportinaustraliaiscrap.com.au'
No wonder our economy is heading downhill with all the lost taxes from people quitting smoking, drinking, gambling, and driving. The government should probably legalise crack and heroin. That way we could get mugged by a crackhead on a graffiti covered train that runs late from Sydney to Canberra.